Tag: Vegan Friendly

So, I posted a few months back about switching my beauty products and cosmetics to vegan friendly, cruelty free items. To read the full post on body and hair care, click here. I have been loving the Live Clean Shampoos and Conditioners and have tried a variety of options their line has to offer.

This week, I was running low on conditioner, before I had a chance to grab more at the store, I was in desperate need of hair washing so grabbed a bottle of Dove that had been in my spare bathroom. I didn’t realize how much other products smelled of chemicals until I stopped using them and switched to a cleaner, more natural product.

Two things I noticed this week. I could barely stand the smell of Dove, a product I used FOR YEARS. The second thing I noticed my hair even after it was dry still stank of the conditioner. I haven’t done the research on what is in all of these products, but since using a more natural product, there was something so unnatural about the smell and the fact that it seemed to stick to my hair for hours.

Have you switched to more natural, chemical free products?

What differences/benefits have you found?

*I also just realized that I posted about this shampoo/conditioner at the end of July and I JUST ran out. I wash my hair almost every day since I workout so much…. so that is REALLY good value – in my opinion! SEE it don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to purchase cleaner, more eco-friendly products!*

I am obsessed, I probably eat these with a side of smoked tofu and BBQ sauce… at least 3 times a week, I just can’t get enough. I have these down to a science that even the julienning of veggies seems to be faster now. These are packed with veggies, are low carb and they are super filling. Not to mention they are so pretty!

Enjoy!

Rainbow Fresh Rolls & Spicy Peanut Sauce

Rolls:

1/4 Small Red Cabbage Grated/Shredded

2-3 Mini Cucumbers Julienned

2-3 Carrots Peeled and Julienned

1 Avocado Sliced

8 Mint Leaves

4-6 Rice Paper Wraps

Soak rice paper in warm water, dry on a clean towel. In the middle of the paper stack the cucumber and carrots, top with cabbage, avocado and mint. Roll tightly and cut in half to enjoy.

A few weeks ago I did a post on year two of being vegan and how my focus has gone from food to transitioning bath and body items to cruelty free/vegan products. To view the last post on bath and body products click here.

Today, I wanted to share some of the makeup brands that I have found recently. As I finish old products I have been trading them in for these cruelty free options.

Live Clean Daily Moisturizer – $21.59 (Well.ca). I am totally in love with this face cream. It makes my face feel great and is keeps my skin hydrated all day. The price is a bit higher on this one, but the bottle is large and will last, even with daily use!

Marcelle Make Up Remover – $14.95 (Shoppers Drugmart). I am super picky about make up remover, I hate when I use a brand and the next morning I still have makeup on. This one is great, it isn’t super oily and it takes everything right off. Marcelle has become a go to brand for me as they have a wide range of products and they are available in Shoppers Drugmarts!

REALHER Eye Shadow – $35.57 (Online). So this one is a bit more than I would typically spend. I actually got this in a FabFitFun box that I was gifted. But you can buy direct from the Realher site. Regardless, a pallet like this will last me a long time so I was so excited to be able to try out these eye shadow colours!

Marcelle Blush – $15.95 (Shoppers Drugmart). Like I mentioned, Marcelle is my go to brand. Being able to find it at a local store is key for me! I love this blush and they have a great selection of colours for everyone.

Cargo_HD Bronzer $30.00 (Online). This is another one I got in my FabFitFun box, but I will definitely try again. If you search online you can also purchase this one direct from their site. It goes on so light and is perfect for getting that flawless look! Come winter time, this will be a daily staple in my makeup routine.

GOSH Cosmetics ‘Show me Volume’ Mascara – $18.00 (Shoppers Drugmart). This one is actually a Shoppers brand and I love that they made their line of products completely cruelty free. Again, for me convince is key. There are cheaper brands in store, but I found GOSH to be middle of the road when it comes to pricing and to purchase it guilt free makes it worth the few extra dollars! Plus the brush on this one is AWESOME if you love big full eyelashes.

This is what I have changed over so far. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I do like my basics for everyday, so as I finish current products I am replacing them with brands like these. Like I mentioned in my last post, bring your phone shopping with you or do your research before hand, you will be surprised at how many mainstream brands are already cruelty free!

Interested yet? Making a fancy breakfast that was vegan did not come to me right away. After being vegetarian for so long, moving away from eggs at breakfast was a tough transition, I wasn’t totally sure what to make myself other than my usual toast with peanut butter and banana. But I have finally found it and I am obsessed.

Place ‘cheese’ slice on one piece of bread (if you have a toaster oven – so it melts), thinly slice tomato. Once bread is toasted smash half an avocado into the non-melted cheese slice of bread, layer tomato on top, add salt and pepper to taste, complete sandwich with cheesy slice of toast, and enjoy!

This breakfast is filling, delicious and something a little more fancy than your usual toast!

*This is not a promotional post. I was looking for a kick start program and found this one. I loved it so I am sharing it with you all!*

Here we go again!

I had no trouble at all getting back into CrossFit post baby and find myself at the gym 4-5 times a week, which is where I was before having B. My biggest thing has been eating. I generally eat clean and good quality foods, but I suck at portion control. I eat like a 15 year old growing boy…. It’s scary how much I can eat in one sitting.

So to help me with portion control and getting started I purchased the Fit Girls Guide 28 Day Jumpstart. This comes in the form of an ebook and provides helpful tips on ways to embrace the ‘fit girl’ lifestyle, a 4 week meal plan (with vegetarian, vegan & gluten free substitutions) and a 4 week workout plan.

Overall the plan is super easy. Here are some key components:

SLOW DOWN and chew your food! This is actually a huge one for me. I have been taking my time and eating meals over a 20-30 minute time period (rather than the 30-40 seconds it normally takes). I have also been trying to chew more and focus on eating while I eat.

Advance Meal Prep. This is super helpful. To get started you prep 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches and your snack for the next 3-4 days. This made the first 3 days a breeze. At meal time I just grabbed my meal from the fridge and didn’t have to think about measuring/prepping etc.

Drink Water. When I was working this was no problem for me, I liked an excuse to get up from my desk and stretch my legs, getting water was perfect for that! Being at home, I have found this tougher. I get caught up in organizing the baby or cleaning that I forget to slow down and hydrate!

Get Moving. The Jumpstart comes with a 4 week workout plan that recommends 3 rounds of the prescribed movements each day. Since I am already active I upped this to 5 rounds each day, plus I am doing CrossFit in the evenings (so this will likely impact my overall results as well). Every day also requires at least 30 minutes of cardio. This can be anything from walking or jogging to dancing, just something that gets your heart rate up. I have opted for walking/jogging with baby and pup in the mornings.

I was shocked at how easy this was to follow. You are eating about 1400 calories a day and it is a mix of veggies, grains and protein at EVERY MEAL. I was not hungry once and by day two I could not believe how great I felt. This meal plan focused on portion control, low sodium and eliminating processed food. It was not a 28 day diet, it was a 28 day lifestyle switch – which I love!

If you are looking for a fun and easy way to kick start yourself into a healthy lifestyle, I highly recommend this. Fit Girls Guide can also be found on social media and they post some great motivational posts to help you stick to it! They also do monthly challenges, I started before the March one, but if you need a bit more support for getting started sign up and do a challenge along side others!

I am off to start round two! Are you ready to check it out! Click here to see all of the Fit Girls Guide Plans!

Week 4 Mediterranean Polenta & Week 3 Pita Pizza Party!

Until next time day dreamers!

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